The epic conclusion to the ever-popular supernatural series, by the number one bestselling author of Alex Rider.

Having escaped from Hong Kong, the five gatekeepers – Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scarlett – are lost in a hostile and dangerous world. As they struggle to re-group and plan their next move, the malevolent King of the Old Ones gathers his forces in Oblivion: a desolate landscape where the last survivors of humanity must fight the ultimate battle.

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Review

Stands out in a series of accomplished thrillers * The Daily Telegraph * Strong and moving * Jewish Chronicle * An exciting and unforgettable end to one of the best teen sagas ever written * Bury Free Press * The scale of the apocalypse is memorably conveyed with a wonderful sleight of hand. * Guardian * It's exciting to see so big and bold a book being written for a young audience, who will find much here to think about, and much to enjoy. * Guardian * Intelligent, complex and gripping, a fine end to a great series. * Daily Express * Horowitz has outdone himself once more with Oblivion * Carousel * Horowitz has outdone himself once more with Oblivion * Carousel *

About the Author

Anthony Horowitz is the author of the number one bestselling Alex Rider books and The Power of Five series. He has enjoyed huge success as a writer for both children and adults, most recently with the latest adventure in the Alex Rider series, Russian Roulette and the highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty. Anthony was chosen by the Ian Fleming estate to write the new James Bond novel, Trigger Mortis, which will be published in September 2015. Anthony has won numerous awards, including the Bookseller Association/Nielsen Author of the Year Award, the Children’s Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards, and the Red House Children’s Book Award. In 2014 Anthony was awarded an OBE for Services to Literature. He has also created and written many major television series, including Injustice, Collision and the award-winning Foyle’s War.

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Like some other reviewers here, I started this book when I was a lot younger, aged 13-14. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 books, but after finishing Necropolis many years ago, realising that the final installment had not yet been written, I forgot about the books and continued down a different path. Whilst cleaning my desk, I found the original 4 books, and the story came flooding back to me, everything that had happened, everything that I was waiting for once Necropolis ended, I felt a desire to find the next installment, to see if it had been written yet, and I was happy to see that it had.

I'm 18 years old, borderline 19, and whilst this isn't The Martian or Fifty Shades of Grey, Oblivion did not disappoint, and at times I even forgot that I was reading a book aimed at younger teenagers. The story picks up 10 years later, though moments later for the five and their companions. Spread across the globe, the world is not how they once knew it. The life that existed has slowly begun to drain, global warming, terrorism, natural disasters, famine. It's a world completely crippled. Potentially not even worth saving. I have quite a busy life style, working as a sound engineer whilst finishing up my A-Levels, and I found this book particularly hard to put down.... It's a story that'll suck you in.. If you'e read the first four books, you have to read this.. If you haven't read them, go now, and come back.

It's a long time coming, Oblivion, and by heck is it worth the wait. Horowitz proves once again that he is a master of his craft, providing a chilling tale of the end of the world. His prose is, thankfully, far less "and now we'll pause for some irrelevant information that the character isn't going to know but I'm putting it in to show that I do my research", a personal bugbear of mine that carries over from his previous series, Alex Rider, and far more tense for it. There will be reviewers that comment on some things they don't get (I'm pretty sure we'll never get all the answers to this one, like just how the hell they managed to jump 10 years ahead) but in the end, they don't matter. Oblivion is a powerful, dark work that leaves a bittersweet taste in the mouth by it's end, and yet doesn't feel bad at all.

After the long wait - the ending. Completing the book and the series brought, for me, a moving sense of loss and closure; the narrative all through has been so powerful. Horowitz is truly a master story-teller. I think he himself once said that he didn't write literature, he told stories. No shame in that. Perhaps 'literature' needs more story-tellers.Be prepared, Oblivion is unrelentingly bleak and harsh; everywhere the world is in ruins and pain. The device of scattering the Five at the outset means that Horowitz can spend the book bringing them back together, each with his/her individual battles to fight and enemies to be overcome. Along the way there are a few far-fetched coincidences and some issues unexplained. (First the nuclear missiles can't be used, then they suddenly can. How would Nexus have known years in advance which canal would be used and at which point the boat would be attacked?) There are also moments of pure Tolkein at the last battle as the deformed and modified creatures attack the fortress, and perhaps even of C.S.Lewis with each of the Five having their personal weapon-gift.But these are trivialities. The final twist genuinely caught me by surprise and there is real sadness in the ending, but I have to say I was hooked all the way. In fact I re-read the last pages because I didn't want the book to stop!Unlike the Alex Rider series, the Power of Five is very much a continuous narrative and the books need to be read in the right order for the saga to make sense, so if you haven't read them you need to start with Raven's Gate not Oblivion.They may be addressed to young (male?) teens but their appeal, as with all Horowitz, is universal. Completely immersive and engaging. Totally recommended.(Note to publisher: Why didn't you make the spine of the book match the previous four?)